workforce Archives

The Human Factor Behind Employee Retention: Why Job Embeddedness Beats Perks

The Human Factor Behind Employee Retention: Why Job Embeddedness Beats Perks Issue 227, August 28, 2025 We’ve been solving the wrong problem. Organizations are spending billions on yoga studios, free meals, and basketball courts while their best talent walks out the door anyway. U.S. median job tenure sits at just four years. For employees aged 25-34, it’s a mere 2.7 years. According to Axios, small businesses face the highest churn rates and must pay an estimated 20% of an average…

Kevin Novak

August 27, 2025

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

How Understanding Personality Types Improves Team Performance

How Understanding Personality Types Improves Team Performance Issue 212, May 15, 2025 Most effective leaders have come up with a way to manage the range of personalities that make up their executive and managerial teams. Without understanding what motivates others’ behavior it leaves you prey to reacting and not being proactive in organizational and personal interactions. This may sound too simple and obvious, but we tend to hire and show favoritism to individuals who share our personality types. That may…

Kevin Novak

May 14, 2025

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

Surviving Toxic Coworkers: A Professional’s Guide to Workplace Sanity

Surviving Toxic Coworkers: A Professional’s Guide to Workplace Sanity Issue 203, March 13, 2025 We know we will never like everyone we work with. We don’t assume when we take a new job or move along on our career paths that everyone we come across is likable or shares our motivations or values. We are taught to celebrate our diverse society where people have different views, values and even different ways of working. Just like a family, there is always…

Kevin Novak

March 13, 2025

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

The Necessity and Risk of Taking Sides in Change

The Necessity and Risk of Taking Sides in Change Issue 179, September 26, 2024 You believe you are an individual with principles. You consider yourself to be fair and an advocate of fair play. You follow your North Star, have a shared purpose with others, and show courage as a leader. At work, you are a proponent of the bigger picture and how each member of a team plays a role in contributing diversity of opinions and perspectives. In short,…

Kevin Novak

September 25, 2024

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

Belonging Matters

Belonging Matters Issue 136, November 23, 2023 The most fundamental motivation among the human species is to belong. Belonging is implicit in sharing trust, affinity and caring about someone or something bigger than yourself. Renown philosopher Dan Dennett in a TED talk in 2006 encouraged everyone to dedicate and devote themselves to something more important than themselves to find meaning and purpose in their lives. We’ll let you draw your own conclusions whether the audience of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and…

Kevin Novak

November 22, 2023

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

Are You Sure You Matter?

Are You Sure You Matter? Issue 133, November 2, 2023 Holding onto next-gen workers and customers (born between 1997 and 2012) requires more than a trick up your sleeve. They are actively changing up the rules of engagement in, and for, organizations of all sizes — whether they are employees or customers. Call them naïve or a brutal force of nature with critical mass, they are redefining the workplace culture and the brand/customer value proposition. Here’s the key thought: You…

Kevin Novak

November 2, 2023

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

Case Study: Sidestepping Accountabilities – Ideas and Innovations from 2040

Case Study: Sidestepping Accountabilities Issue 98, March 9, 2023 At 2040 we work closely with our clients to bridge theory to practice. Strategy is great, but if you don’t know how to apply the great ideas, it becomes a hard stop to any forward progress. We can get mired down by details, overthinking – and worst of all, not keeping out of our own way. So, back by popular demand, we bring you another case study that you may be…

Kevin Novak

March 9, 2023

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

Anger and Rage – Ideas and Innovations from 2040

Anger and Rage Issue 90, January 12, 2023 A group of white men wearing T-shirts, Patagonia fleece vests or zip-front sweaters, Allbirds sneakers, and faded jeans are sitting around a conference table. It is 7:30 in the morning. They are collegial, familiar with one another, and engaged in friendly banter. The senior team turns their attention to their leader who has just walked into the room; he looks exactly like they do. Two women follow him, dressed in the female…

Kevin Novak

January 12, 2023

Ideas and Innovations Newsletter

Assumptions and Consequences – Ideas + Innovations from 2040

Assumptions and Consequences Issue 74: Sept 22, 2022 Don’t make any assumptions! How many times have we heard this – at work and at home? Yet, we make assumptions all the time. And our assumptions are typically personal speculations that have broad implications. We assume that our workforce is achieving its potential. We assume that leadership is making decisions that benefit the entire organization, including its workers. We assume that our customers are pleased with our products and services and…

Kevin Novak

September 21, 2022